The Ghost of Coltistrano: Restless Peace

by EthanClark

Chapter 6: “Don’t lecture me… they’re all monsters.”

“Why are you- no! No!”

“Sweet Celestia! Silver!”

Muscles twitched beneath his skin. Like mighty cords they grew taut with strength as Silver lunged from his chair and onto the table with a speed that forced the two panicking mares beside him to flinch. He was face to hooded-face with the attacker. Green power leaked from beneath the lip of the tattered cloth, and before a powerful beam of putrid energy could engulf Abby it was twisted away and up towards the ceiling, the attacker’s head caught in a pair of forelegs. Rarity stepped to Abby’s side and erected a barrier.

“Abby, come with me!”

“But what about Silver?!”

“He’s a big colt, he can handle himself!”

Silver struggled against the impressive strength of the invader, and with strained eyes he watched Rarity escort Abby, clinging to Rarity’s side, away from the scene. He allowed his muscles to rest and disengaged with a graceful flip back, off the table.

“Now listen here, intruder, I am Lord Aristo of Coltistrano, and I shall call the guard if you persist.”

The mass of grey rags stepped off the table, coughing as it did and rubbing its neck, until words came forth from within its form.

“Silver Spade.” The words leaked out like acid, yet their intended recipient showed no change, save a cocked eyebrow.

“So, you know me, too? In that case…”

With a quick swipe of his hoof, Silver produced a small glass orb that crashed against the floor, producing a vast cloud of smoke, filling half the room. Green streaks fired wildly into the vapor. They sailed through the fog as the sheen of gold stitching emerged from the cloud. A duck cleared the intruder of the flying tailcoat’s path, but was hardly enough to dodge the gloved hoof that crashed against their jaw, sending them skidding back along a carpet of shattered glass.

“I can entertain you all I want, you murderous miscreant, but if you know who I am then you certainly know what happens when you threaten her.”

The stallion emerged in full regalia. With a strong flap of the ebon cloak, the Ghost was propelled through the fog-filled air and overtop the invader, whipping the dark tendrils of cloth over the emerald light of a counterspell, snuffing it out. What the Ghost didn’t expect, though, was a display of furious agility that guided the invader’s rear hoof into his midsection, stunning him for long enough to cartwheel out of the cloak’s grasp and into a fighting stance.

“That’s the point, Ghost,” the invader said in an aged, feminine voice.

“So, the stoic slayer has a voice. Perhaps you can educate me on this strange new venture you’re on? I have a bit of an interest in polititical murder.”

She unleashed a flurry of green hail against him, bouncing harmlessly off the cloak’s dark hide as it shielded the Ghost’s charge. A few solid blows found their path between the gaps in the rags, but his final kick was caught and deflected against the nearby wall. His collision was followed closely by hail of a different kind. Glass shards rose from the carpet, sheathed in green power, and soard toward him.

“As if I need to justify killing that monster!” Her onslaught was nimbly dodged, save for a single shard that grazed the Ghost’s foreleg. The Ghost chuckled and rubbed his fresh wound.

“Oh no, don’t get me wrong. I would love to melt Shield Wall’s face, too, were it not for my nagging moral compass, but killing Midnight Gavel and the Night Guard was going too far.”

“Don’t lecture me… they’re all monsters.”

She launched herself into the Ghost faster than he could react. A sharp hum in the air announced her charge, crashing into him like the lightning before thunder, sending them both hurdling against the far wall. The Ghost tumbled across the floor. After a painful cough he managed to catch his breath, just in time to evade another green bolt, nearly singeing his cowl. Back on his hooves, the Ghost struck against the side of her head, and another to the soft meat of her throat, before whipping the cloak out toward one of the discarded chairs, snatching it in the cloth and catapulting it toward her.

The explosion of wood and splinters preceded a loud pop from her hip. Stumbling away, the invader struggled to evade more of the Ghost’s strikes, but it seemed no matter how far she retreated the dark fabric of the Ghost’s enchanted cloak always managed to steal another bit of her resolve with blinding speed. Then a glowing vile appeared in her hoof.

It sailed across the spaces between her and the Ghost. He flinched at the sight, recognizing the putrid solution within the vial and only just managed to dip below its path of flight, hearing the shatter against the floor behind him. That was all the time she needed to return her leg back to its socket and send a kick into the Ghost’s back. He tripped forward, his muzzle inches away from the bubbling patch of liquid the vial left behind. The mare wasted no time running for the exit. She could see the hallway and the lobby beyond, before the familiar wisping sound of the cloak reached her ears and the study’s main sofa obstructed her vision, violently colliding with the doorframe and wedging itself inside.

“A magnificent mixture, if I may say. Did you make it yourself or do you have to foalnap a supplier?”

The mare screamed, spinning on her good leg to throw a second vial of acid, but the Ghost was already far above her and wrapped in his cloak like a dark, formless missile that struck her with a fearsome knee. She smacked against the doorframe and clambered over the wedged sofa into the hallway. The Ghost dove through the small opening after her and took chase down the hallway and into the estate’s main lobby. The mare skidded to a halt at the railing and spun to grab the Ghost, using her momentum to hurl him over the ledge. With a snap of his wrist, though, the cloak reached out with two strands that grabbed both the railing and her, saving him and dooming her to collide with the pristine marble floor.

The Ghost landed with a clack of his hooves. Glinting metal soared and met his approach, the mare’s thrown knife slipping past the defenses of the cloak and slicing into his chest. He fell to one knee as she recovered to her own.

“Nice trick,” he managed to say, grasping his wound.

“Keep fighting and I’ll have to show my next one.” She dragged a foreleg across her concealed mouth, leaving a dark and wet stain of what the Ghost guessed was blood.

“Don’t suppose we could end it here, huh? Watching you kill my friends is hardly my favorite kind of magic show.”

“You call them friends? Midnight Gavel kept you dead to the public. Shield Wall tried to murder you. Even Glow thought she was helping when she convinced half the nobility in Canterlot to wage a war. Are you really defending them?” The mare stood upon quivering hooves, just barely keeping her balance.

“Just her I’m defending, but if you really know as much as you flaunt, then it’s no surprise why.” The Ghost drew a sharp breath as he stood.

“You’re letting them get in the way of what matters.”

“And what’s that? Reckless murder mixed with a horrid fashion sense?”

“If you knew half of Shield Wall’s crimes, you wouldn’t be making jokes.”

“I know every last one… and I’m giving you the chance to convince me there’s one I don’t know, yet.” His voice was cold.

“How about the Night Guard? Did you know they were hunting Gavel, or working behind Luna’s back?”

“You’ll have to do better than that,” the Ghost said as he gripped the cloak.

“They’re still out there, and they’re probably already out of the city by now.”

“Heading where?”

“Ponyville. They have a plan that involves the princess living there, and I don’t think they’ll be as pleasant with her as I was with them.” Her sudden confession left the Ghost frozen, staring in response.

“Let’s say I believe you. What’s in Ponyville?”

“We can find out together. You don’t have to hunt me, Ghost, not when there are more ponies out there who hurt us. The Night Guard, the conspirators, all the darker parts of Equestria fear you. Help me find those traitors, and we can make sure they never hurt anypony, anyone ever again.”

“By killing them all, right? Because that’s a fantastic way to convince absolutely no one it’s what’s right.”

“It’s the only way that works.”

“No it’s not… it’s not only the battle you must win, but the discourse. That’s where the true strength of the mission lies.”

A heavy blanket of silence covered them and the room, with only the faint sounds of dripping blood a threat to its all encompassing veil. After a moment the Ghost’s expression shifted into one of confusion, gazing intently at the mare when a slow, stuttering breath escaped her lips.

“Don’t say that…”

“What?”

“Don’t say that!”

From beneath the tattered rags flew forth green rays, wild and unpredictable, that lashed out at everything in sight like a vile tempest. Nothing was spared from the sudden burst of power, not even the now steaming blood at her hooves as the Ghost wrapped himself in his cloak and huddled to the floor to weather the onslaught of spells screaming through the air. Though the cloak was strong, magical force still battered his shelter, and the shattering of the polished floor almost deafened him. A final burst pushed him back before the world became still.

He recovered, peering over the edge of the cloak to the mare standing before him, surrounded by a ring of black on the floor. Through her heavy, labored breathing, the Ghost’s weary eyes could make out small streaks traveling down her face to the already filthy rags. He slowly approached.

“It doesn’t have to end like this, we can-”

He flinched and raised his cloak to block the second flying dagger. Once he whipped the edge of his cloak out to strike her he found himself alone. Careful eyes scanned the room. All around him were the remains of the same gorgeous lobby he had stepped into just minutes before, tarnished and broken.

“Rarity? Abby? Where are you two?”

A click was heard from one of the walls, and behind the concealed doorway came the two unicorns, joined quickly by Berry as he bolted from the other side of the lobby. The Ghost limped halfway to them before falling into Rarity’s outstretched hooves.

“Oh, goodness, Silver! Where are you hurt? Oh, silly me, you’re hurt everywhere, and… Silver! That wound is bad. Over here on the stairs, now.” Rarity’s frantic diagnosis brought a smile to Silver’s face, but his jubilation was short-lived as Abby firmly wrapped him in a hug of her own.

“Silver! I was so frightened. Berry, fetch one of the kits. Does it hurt?”

“Hurt? Me? No, no, just sore from the worko-” He yelped as Rarity felt along his midsection, glaring at her before spying the thread, needle and gauze float from her saddlebag. “You just carry that stuff with you?”

“Don’t forget, darling, your adventures aren’t the only ones I partake in, now stop squirming. If I can stitch a mantua and petticoat on less sleep then you’ve had, I can surely sew up that wound.”

“I can stitch myself, thank- ow!”

“Yes, but you’re terrible at it,” Rarity quipped.

“Maybe I’ll be your apprentice? You can teach me how to properly sew up my mistakes and I’ll be your personal ponnequin as payment.”

“Oh! How generous. That way you can get blood over all of my designs, not just the ones you buy.”

Rarity and Silver laugh at the sarcasm, almost forgetting the painful display of thread in flesh between them. Abby, however, could only watch as Berry finally returned with a kit of medical supplies, taken from him by his employer as she offered one of the bottles of iodine.

“Hold still, Silver, I hope it doesn’t hurt too much,” she said, removing the cork and tipping the bottle over the wound.

“I don’t think I could tell at this point. Thank you. Where did you three go?”

“Into one of my safe rooms. After I heard about the one you have in Coltistrano, I decided to install a few around the house, just in case.”

“It’s quite cozy in there too,” Rarity said. “Plenty of wards defending the room. I hesitate to say we all might have been perfectly safe in there, but you wouldn’t dream of letting a challenge pass you by, would you darling?”

“‘Ha ha’,” the Ghost mocked.

“Don’t bully him too much, Rarity, he did marvelously against that terrible pony. I heard you two talking, did she say anything helpful?”

“She’s violent, easily provoked, and skilled. Very skilled. She might be former military or something similar.”

“Perhaps a Night Guard agent gone rogue? Trying to clean up the mess they’ve been making?” Rarity suggested.

“Maybe, but whatever she is, we were right, she’s clearly a victim of Shield Wall’s conspiracy. And… well, she knows who I am, and I mean knows who I am.”

“How is that possible?” Abby asked, placing a hoof on the Ghost’s shoulder.

“I don’t know, and honestly I don’t want to think about it. The fact she knows anything about me is disturbing enough.”

“‘Disturbing’ is certainly a word I’d use, with those dreadful rags.” Rarity shuddered at the mere mention, magic from her horn tearing the thread, freeing her needle from the wound.

“But this ‘Ragged Mare’ can’t have known all this, could she?” Abby bit her hoof as she spoke. “She knew where to find the prison, knew how to follow Gavel, and even when I would be returning for her to strike. Silver, have you told anypony that you’re you?”

“Less than I would’ve liked... but nothing that could lead to this. I haven’t even told Shining Armor or Cadence.”

“Then this is truly disturbing. Silver, I think we know much less than we initially thought, and we need to find out who this mare is as soon as possible, but first…”

Rarity helped the Ghost to his hooves, struggling a bit to carry the stallion before all four hooves were firmly planted on the burnt floor. She looked around and gasped as Berry appeared before her with a slightly dusty red and gold tailcoat in his hoof.

“Oh! Berry, how thoughtful, thank you.” Rarity said as she took the coat.

“He’s very good at his job. Berry, will you alert the authorities? Aunt Luna will want to know about this development. What will you do now, Silver? Surely, you won’t be fighting in your condition.” Abby’s attention was fixed on Silver, ignoring her servant’s eager exit through the entrance of the manor.

“She mentioned Ponyville, said the Night Guard are heading there. Besides, this is only the second time I’ve been stabbed in the past day.” He pulled off his cowl and carefully folded the shadowy costume back into his tailcoat.

“Second?! Honestly, Silver, does that drab getup protect you at all?” Rarity nearly shouted.

“Well, the cloak does a lot of the protecting, and-”

“Clearly not enough. Abby, I’m so sorry our meeting ended terribly, but it was lovely to see you again.”

“You too, Rarity, where will you two go now?”

“Well, right now we’re going to my boutique for supplies. After that, we’re off to follow up on a lead from the crime scene this morning.”

“Wait, ‘we’? As in you’re coming with me?” Silver asked.

“Nopony else is going to stitch you up, and I have a few choice words for her and the Night Guard if they think they can bring their criminal circus to my home, so I hope you’ve cleaned up that hollowed-out tree you call an airship… and there will be no ‘buts’, understand? We’re in this together, now.”

Silver’s laugh came through, chuckling as he finally managed to slip into his tailcoat, albeit uncomfortably, tucking the rest of his cloak away. As he hobbled after Rarity towards the door, Abby rushed to his side and pulled on his shoulder.

“You’re leaving so soon? I know so much has happened, but I would hardly call this a proper visit. It’s been so long.”

“That’s the way it is with me, nowadays, but I have to go. Once Luna hears about what happened this place will be crawling with guards she trusts. You’ll be safe.”

“Of course, but… I haven’t felt safe for a long time. Not until you came to see me.”

“I’m not excited about it, either, but nopony in Ponyville is safe until I bring her in. Besides, it’s not like I could take you with me.”

“Why not? I’m still quite keen in a fight, and you need to have somepony watching over you.” Abby looked to Silver with hopeful eyes, and a thin blush crossed his face at her suggestion.

“I-I’ll be fine. I’ll be out of commission for a few days, and besides, the gang is more than capable. I don’t want you to be in danger.”

“I’m in danger regardless. Wouldn’t you-”

“Abby, please.”

Silver’s voice became firm, reflecting the rising heat in his face as he glared at the floor. “Just… It’s safer here than with me. Please stay, okay?”

Abby’s eyes remained fixed on Silver for a moment before shifting to Rarity, who politely tried to shift her gaze. She shifted back to Silver. After a second’s hesitation she sighed and lifted a hoof to his bruised cheek.

“For you, Silver, but you stay safe, too.”

He smiled and turned toward the door. Together, he and Rarity exited the Glow estate, passing through the growing crowd of guards that had formed around the house. A few tried to stop them but were quickly shoved aside by Rarity as she escorted the limping stallion away from the grounds and out onto the city streets.

“To the boutique then?”

Her question was returned with a simple nod from Silver, allowing silence to overtake the two. She waited until the Glow Estate was finally out of view before speaking to her wounded friend.

“Well, at least it’s over. I could tell how uncomfortable you were.”

“Sometimes, Rarity, you can be a bit too perceptive.”